About

Front Cover

Helheim Unbound is a roleplaying game designed with quick resolutions and narrative play in mind. We have created a framework that translates a player's vision for a character into a playable champion. The end result is a system that allows a group to play in a matter of minutes, with minimal complexities to tie down the narrative.

Helheim Unbound can be used as a generic system for practically any setting, but included is an example setting at the dawn of the Viking Age. Whether players embark on daring raids with the Vikings or enlist with King Charles on his crusade to spread the boundaries of Christendom, there is a world filled with conflict and adventure.

Chapter 2: Champion Creation. All about how you create your champion, including their desires, skills, benefits and hindrances, starting resources, and how to measure success when the champion dies or retires.

Chapter 3: The Gamemaster. Tips and tricks for Gamemasters, including when to test and setting test difficulties, how to create creatures, and guidance on managing a rules-lite system like Helheim Unbound.

Chapter 4: Examples. Norse / Dark Age themed examples to help inspire players, including all aspects of champion creation, ideas for encounters, and sample creatures for the champions to face. We also have included some examples for other settings as well!

Chapter 5: Magic. Magic was the number one area our playtesters wanted more information on, so we dedicated a chapter to it! We include a framework for creating your own magic system, as well as two complete magic systems: One based on the 18 Runes from the Havamal and 18 Miracles from the Bible.

Watch the 6 Part Series (Ongoing)

What sets Helheim Unbound apart from other roleplaying games?

Helheim Unbound is extremely easy for new players to learn, has quick character (champion) creation, and allow for simple encounter and creature creation for the GM. New players can pick up the game in less than 10 minutes, and set up for a session is easy on the GM so they can spend more time on roleplaying and less on the nuances of creatures (if they want to).

Dice Pools & Measures of Success

Helheim Unbound provides the framework: Measures of success. There are three different ways the outcomes are tested by the dice. Helheim Unbound uses a dice pool created by the champion's skill, plus any benefits (such as wits, strength, or a good weapon) and minus any hindrances (such as old wounds, or a poor quality shield).

Simple Tests. Simple tests are pass or fail. Do I find something? Do I break down the door?

Complex Tests. Complex tests have degrees of success and failure. Meet the target and you accomplish what you want to do.
For each point above you do better, for each point below you do worse. How well do I climb? How quickly do I find the information in the library? Do I manage to roll under the closing door and stab the guard at the winch?

Opposed Tests. Opposed tests are compared against another dice roll. Winner takes all in an opposed test. Opposed tests are used most commonly in combat.

Consolidated dice rolls. What the measures of success mean is that the one dice roll tells you everything you need to know. No slowing things down to roll other sets of dice, or add other numbers.

You define the world. You create the skills, traits, and resources. We provide plenty of examples, but you come up with defining who and what your character is. Want to be an expert in tracking other people? The skill could be manhunter, or tracker, or scout. The trait might be keen eyes, sharp nose, or wind-reader. Each may do slightly different things based on the intent. A manhunter would have their skill apply as bonus dice when tracking humans, but would be more restrictive when tracking in the woods.

Class-less and customizable. Freely pick how your character will develop and customize them with a classless system. Pick the skills and traits you want. Be a stealthy rogue who fights with a two handed axe, or a front line fighter who uses daggers.

The Gamemaster

As Helheim Unbound is the core rules for gameplay, we have devoted over half the book as advice and guidance to the Gamemaster. This includes help on setting test difficulty, ideas on creating creatures, and what to do if a skill is too powerful or too weak.

Champion Sheets

We also have PDF champion sheets available for download, including form-fillable and printer-friendly versions.

Hall of the Fallen

At the end of the Kickstarter campaign, all backers at any tier will have the option of joining the Hall of the Fallen, a list acknowledging your early support as backers.

Fulfillment

Hardbound copies will be printed using offset printing by Kraken Print for US customers, and through DriveThruRPG for international customers.

Why two different channels? We are a small company and want to get you the rules in your hands as inexpensively as possible. We also want to make sure you are satisfied, and using a trusted print on demand company for international printing and delivery allows us the best and most economical way to provide that.

DriveThruRPG will fulfill digital orders. This allows us to easily communicate with you if there are any updates to the PDF.

Risks and challenges

The Core Rulebook is complete and in final illustration and layout. By the time the Kickstarter has closer, and funding is completed, the PDF core rulebook will be sent to backers. We expect this to be no later than early July, depending on when funding clears.

Final proofing of the hardbound materials, printing, and shipping will take another 2-3 months after the PDF version is finalized. We aim to beat our end of November 2018 delivery date if at all possible.

However, given the printing and shipping industry, the deadlines may slip a little bit if there is a problem once we get through the test print run to make sure it all looks perfect. In all cases we will keep you posted.

We will use RPGNow for distribution of the digital files. This gives us the best way to make sure you have the current files.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 100 or more
About US$ 100

Legend (Hardcover + PDF + More)

The Master tier includes both the hardcover and PDF copies of the core rulebook.

You also will create a sample champion or creature for publication on our website, along with an illustration. You will get a printed copy of the champion's portrait or creature's illustration.

* We will begin working on your champion or creature design with you as soon as the Kickstarter closes. We expect the artwork and examples to be completed by August. The rules will be available at the same time as other backers.